$3M in Funding to Require $750,000 in Matched Local Money

Dalton City, Georgia is expanding its local airport, with the city council voting 3-0 to accept a $3 million contract with the State DoT for new hangars at Dalton Municipal Airport.

The vote follows a request made last year for only $2.25 million in state funding for the same purpose. The General Assembly granted the request during the 2023 legislative session and included the funding in the 2022 fiscal year state budget. Of the $3 million, however, $750,000 must be found in local match funding, forcing Dalton City to have just a little skin in the game. Mayor David Pennington said the funding shouldn’t be a problem, however, since the city had the funds by a stroke of some luck. The city has found itself holding tax revenues above and beyond expectations, exceeding its sales tax budgets and providing helpful assistance to foster additional activity at Dalton Airport. 

The hangars are expected to hold 21 aircraft in all, though designs have not yet been presented. Currently, the field is home to 27 hangars, but local operators continue to see lengthy waiting times on future leases. Dalton Municipal houses “more than 30 international companies,” with a handful even operating their North American headquarters in the area. The Georgia DoT estimated that the airport has a $7.8 million impact on the local economy every year, with 71 jobs tied to the facility. The airport brings in $309,000 in tax revenue every year, with Federal and State grants paying anywhere from $100,000 to $2 million for airport improvements. Over the last 8 years, the airport has seen more than $5.5 million in such grants, each used to improve the local infrastructure and expand services. 

FMI: www.daltonga.gov